Volume II, song 126, pages 131 and 132 - 'The Young Man's...
Volume II, song 126, pages 131 and 132 - 'The Young Man's Dream' - Scanned from the 1853 edition of the 'Scots Musical Museum', James Johnson and Robert Burns (Edinburgh and London: W. Blackwood & Sons, 1853)
Verse 1: 'One night I dream'd I lay most easy, By a murm'ring rivers side, Where lovely banks were spread with daisies, And the streams did smoothly glide, While all around me and quite over, Spreading branches were display'd, All interwoven in due order Soon became a pleasant shade.' The verse of a different song, accompanied by the same tune, has also been provided. It begins, 'O Molly Molly, my dear honey, Come and sit thee down by me,'.
The 'Scots Musical Museum' is the most important of the numerous eighteenth- and nineteenth-century collections of Scottish song. When the engraver James Johnson started work on the second volume of his collection in 1787, he enlisted Robert Burns as contributor and editor. Burns enthusiastically collected songs from various sources, often expanding or revising them, whilst including much of his own work. The resulting combination of innovation and antiquarianism gives the work a feel of living tradition.
According to Burns, this song was written by 'Balloon Tytler'. He is referring to James Tytler (1747-1805), editor of the 'Encyclopaedia Britannica', who contributed a number of songs to the 'Museum', including 'I hae laid a herring in saut' (song 253) and 'The Bonnie Brucket Lassie' (song 68). Both of these songs were based on older compositions. As to the tune, Glen (1900) believes the melody to be no older than the song itself.
Volume II, song 126, pages 131 and 132 - 'The Young Man's Dream' - Scanned from the 1853 edition of the 'Scots Musical Museum', James Johnson and Robert Burns (Edinburgh and London: W. Blackwood & Sons, 1853)